We today “reap the benefits of public services built by previous generations” and corporate leaders “more willing to pay taxes”. But what will we be passing on to future generations?[1] Across Western society, “in the name of austerity, we put off investments critical to our future. We also put off the maintenance of our existing…

Current international tax law and its underlying principles are no longer grounded in the reality of today’s economics, digital business models and the global economy, undermining common sense and promoting widespread corporate tax avoidance. The result? Countries across the world compromised in their ability to fund the public goods of modern societies, and their citizens…

Judicial independence is a bedrock principle of the rule of law. Why? Because an independent judiciary is the key to upholding the rule of law in a free society, maintaining public confidence in the justice system, and is critical to promoting a peaceful and inclusive society. Few principles are more important than the rule of…

For companies, geopolitical risk is fundamentally about the probability that a political action or environment will significantly affect their business – whether positively or negatively.[1] In this context, the next decade will be a period of political uncertainty across the globe. Business leaders can expect to face daunting leadership and strategic challenges amid the turbulence and…

From Volkswagen’s DieselGate to Wells Fargo’s banking scandal,[1] the breadth and nature of high-profile corporate[2] and government[3] scandals and well-publicized corruption is staggering. Headlines aside, ethical misconduct is hardly uncommon today – nearly half of all fraud cases are not publicly reported[4] and over 40% of executives surveyed in a recent study said “they could…

Despite recent developments and initiatives striving to protect and promote long-term corporate strategy and sustainable value creation,[1] short-term perspectives still predominate throughout the investment value chain and dominate decisions in boardrooms.[2] It is troubling how deeply the short-term mindset has permeated corporate culture across the globe. The markets relentless demand for profit growth on a quarterly…

There was a time the American – Canadian, UK, and Australian – dream was built on the ideal that hard work leads to success. Today, with the rise of technology, the message has become: work all the time or you will fail.[1] The legal culture – in particular law firm culture – encourages workaholic behaviors,[2]…

Until relatively recently, throughout the world, legal services have by law only been delivered to the consumer by traditional law firms that are wholly owned and controlled by lawyers.[1] With the goal of modernizing the delivery of legal services and encouraging competition, reducing prices, and spurring innovation,[2] the UK, Australia and other countries have dropped…

Legal professional privilege exists in most jurisdictions across the world. However, the scope, application, and nature of the protections afforded to legal professional privilege and confidentiality of communications vary widely. Because of the shared origins and many similarities between the legal systems of the UK, the U.S., Canada and Australia, there tends to be a…

Practicing with integrity in an in-house position, whether in the private or public sector, has always required special skill; but along with the advantages of the insider’s perspective come particular challenges. The fact of having one client — the corporation or the government[1] — means that an in-house lawyer is particularly vulnerable when there is…

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This publication is designed to sensitize the reader to matters of general interest relating to recent developments in the law. Legal counsel should be consulted with regard to specific application of the information on a case-by-case basis. The contributors and editors assume no liability whatsoever in connection with the use of information contained in this publication.